


Fourth of July

by anclrewjosten



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Fourth of July, M/M, One Shot, Summer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-04
Updated: 2017-08-04
Packaged: 2018-12-11 04:53:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11707221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anclrewjosten/pseuds/anclrewjosten
Summary: Neil Josten has never celebrated the fourth of July. He had never cared before, and his mother had left it alone. It wasn't until Nicky Hemmick raved of the trivialities did Neil take notice.





	Fourth of July

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nxil-jostxn](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=nxil-jostxn).



Neil had never celebrated America’s independence before. There was one night; his mother and he had just landed in a state foreign to him, and today the name had escaped him, but they had had a fleeting moment to rest. For one night, his mother had been worn out enough to stay out on the balcony and watch the world go by. She had allowed Stefan to sit outside with her. He hadn’t known of the celebrations then, but there were fireworks gracing the horizon, and explosions sounding around them. Stefan had wanted to go back inside, to keep his bag beside him ready, yet his mother hadn’t moved, so he relaxed. They had stayed like that, sat in silence. His mother studied the city whilst Stefan wondered what filled her thoughts, until the sky became foggy and she insisted they went inside.

It was Matt who first brought the subject up to him. They had finished training for the day, and Matt asked if he had any plans. Neil just shrugged, unbothered by the big day ahead. He didn’t understand it, and he couldn’t care enough to find out. Matt, after years, was still shaken by Neil’s lack of knowledge of something so normal to him, and left it.

It was later, before Neil headed out to train with Kevin and Andrew, when Nicky mentioned the 4th of July. Unlike Matt however, he hadn’t let the subject go. He was in disbelief over the entire ordeal, and insisted he walked down to his cousin’s Maserati with Neil, gushing over the fireworks, the singing that was drowned out by the national anthem, and although Neil had little patriotic pride, he was still disappointed when Andrew sent Nicky away. Throughout the entirety of their late night training Neil was distracted. He was Neil now, and Neil had never celebrated the 4th of July.

Andrew had retired to the bleachers. His legs were pushed up, and his arms were drifting under the bench through to the level below. Neil slowed on his way to pick up his racket leaning against the goal, stalling until Kevin left. Once he was out of sight, Neil dropped his equipment at the foot of the stairs and bounded up them, two at a time, to where Andrew was lying. He sat himself by Andrew’s head. Andrew didn’t respond.

“Have you ever celebrated?” Neil asked without elaborating. It would’ve looked like Andrew wasn’t aware of him speaking, but Neil knew him better than that. Eventually, Andrew’s shoulders moved in the vague form of a shrug. “Can we?”

“Nicky always dragged everyone out, but we’ve only ever gotten as far as Columbia.” Neil could understand Andrew’s hesitance; Columbia was one of the few places Andrew would go, yet with that many people as drunk as they became on the fourth, Neil wouldn’t want to be there either.

“I think Nicky was trying to drag you all out with Matt and co.” Upon a moment’s hesitation, he added, “I think even Aaron’s willing.” He didn’t mention the Vixen’s invitation to join the rest of the foxes.

“We ca-“

“Neil, are you coming? It’s nearly 2am.” Kevin was standing at the bottom of the stands, his wet hair still dripping onto his black tee. Neil ended up showering back at his dorm that night.

Before Neil could register June becoming July, he was watching Aaron leave to meet Katelyn, Nicky rushing around looking for things he didn’t need, and Kevin packing enough drinks for all the monsters - even enough for Neil and Andrew, who had opted to stay in. Nicky was gushing over the decorations Allison had hinted at having gathered. Kevin cut him off, urging him to hurry up as the upperclassmen were loading Matt’s truck outside.

Once they had gone, Neil found the DVD Andrew had picked up on the side, and moved over to set it up. Neither of them were particularly big on movies. Neil had found everything shown to be incredibly wrong, having experience most events portrayed in action films. Andrew just got bored sitting through them. However both of them agreed it gave them something to do. Neil enjoyed just sitting, and existing, without a price on his shoulders.

However, Neil found it much harder without the warmth of Andrew beside him. He had gone out to get food, and Neil was certain he heard him come in, but he was nowhere. His phone was on the counter: although it was Andrew, and he likely didn’t care to carry his phone to the store. There was no reason for Andrew to be over at Matt’s dorm, so he took a chance, and found his way to the roof.

Neil could feel the breeze as he jogged up the stairs. The door was propped open with weathered rocks piled atop each other. When Neil pushed his way over the balcony leading to the rooftop, he stopped. He couldn’t see fairy lights and candles and all the other cheap mockery people laid out for their significant others in the movies, but there was an old blanket, held down by a shopping bag of which Andrew was currently hunched over, pulling out shop-bought picnic food. He had positioned everything so they were sat looking over the Foxhole Court. From here, Neil could see the entirety of his usual plotted route for running. Grinning, Neil walked over to Andrew and sat himself beside him.

“Thank you,” Neil was quiet, but loud enough he knew Andrew would hear. He paused, hovering, pushed up onto the balls of his feet. Then, after a moment, he fell back onto the ground, pulling out two cartons of ice cream, placing one in front of Neil, and pulling the lid off his own, damning the other snacks in the bag.

For a moment, they just sat in silence. Andrew was eating and Neil sat looking over his home, indulging in the comfort of Andrew’s thigh pressed against his own.

“I had celebrated this date before,” Andrew began, scraping his spoon against the side of the tub, “but I had never held a celebration. I usually followed the others around, and never payed attention to what people did. I hope this is okay.” Neil didn’t respond, but rather leaned slightly into Andrew’s shoulder. Andrew, uncertain at his silence, looked round at him, only to see Neil with a small grin pulling at the edges of his mouth.

“I love it ‘Drew,” Neil murmured.

It was now when the fireworks began. Sparks of red, green, orange, blue filling the sky and drifting out behind the growing clouds of smoke. It was beautiful, and this moment was Neil’s for the taking.

“Happy 4th of July, Neil Josten.”


End file.
